Category: Newsletter

Suicide Prevention Training

Veterinary medicine is a community, and a community supports its members. For that reason, the AVMA is offering free training in suicide prevention to all veterinary professionals. QPR gatekeeper training — short for “question, persuade, refer” — teaches people without professional mental health backgrounds to recognize the signs that someone may be considering suicide, establish a dialogue and guide the person to seek professional help.

Veterinarians, veterinary students, technicians, assistants, practice managers and all other veterinary professionals are now eligible to take this free online training.

Access training resources here

News from the AVMA

Article of Interest in JAVMA Sept. 15th:

“Are we in a veterinary workforce crisis?” Understanding our reality can guide us to a solution. This commentary written by AVMA Chief Economist, Matthew Salois and AVMA Chief Veterinary Officer, Gail Golab addresses the Veterinary practitioners feeling like there are not enough hours in the day – a consequence of “pandemic pets” and shortage of veterinarians. The article highlights the data and the steps that can help navigate the challenges affecting our profession.

Volunteer Opportunities at the AVMA

The American Veterinary Medical Association invites you to explore the Committee and Council positions available this year and in 2022. Please visit the Volunteer Opportunities section of the AVMA website to learn more. Nominations for currently vacant positions are being accepted on an ongoing basis until those positions are filled. For positions expiring in August 2022, the deadline to submit nominations for Committee positions is March 31, 2022, and the deadline to submit nominations for Council positions is May 1, 2022.
Requirements:
· All Committee nominations must include the Nomination Form and a 1-2 page resume.
· For Councils, a nomination is considered complete when each of the following has been received: Nomination Form, Campaign Guide document, photo and 2-minute video.
Please submit all nominations via email to OfficeEVP@avma.org. If you have a question or would like to learn more about a specific entity, please contact OfficeEVP@avma.org or 847-285-6605. I hope you will consider applying for these volunteer positions! https://www.avma.org/membership/volunteering-avma

Calling all leaders – Rising leaders, Experienced leaders and Presiding Leaders

The Veterinary Leadership Conference (VLC) is the veterinary profession’s premier conference for leadership development. You will have the opportunity to attend CE sessions, AVMA governance meetings, and networking with colleagues to expand and develop your leadership skills. Join us, for VLC January 6-9, 2022, at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile. A select amount of education sessions will also be available virtually.
https://www.avma.org/events/veterinary-leadership-conference

State Advocacy Committee (SAC)

As a member of this Committee, I can tell you that the AVMA is working hard on many topics essential to Veterinary Medicine. I have included a summary provided by the Government Relations Division here, to keep you updated on Congressional Bills. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you would like to discuss.

Leianne K. Lee Loy
ikaikavet@gmail.com
House of Delegate Representative from Hawaii and Member of SAC

Planning for 2022 – The AVMA Conference

July 29, 2022 – August 2, 2022
https://www.avma.org/events/avma-convention

AVMA Summer House of Delegates

The AVMA House of Delegates Meeting was held the last week of July. This meeting was in a hybrid format – attending live in Chicago or virtually. The agenda items included Resolutions, AVMA officer elections and House of Delegates Elections.

Highlights of elections:
Dr. Lori Teller from Texas, AVMA President-Elect
The AVMA Officers are now:
Dr. Jose Arce from Puerto Rico, President
Dr. Karen Bradley of Vermont, Board of Directors Chair
House Advisory Elections:
Dr. Rex Anderson of Montana, re-elected to the House Advisory
Committee (HAC), and then elected HAC Chair.
Future Elections:
Dr. Rena Carlson from Idaho and Dr. Grace Bransford from California
announced candidacies for the 2022-2023 President-Elect position
Dr. Jennifer Quammen of Kentucky announced her candidacy for the
position of 2022-2024 Vice President.

AVMA’s Veterinary Information Forum (VIF)
Topics presented by delegates/alternate delegates to address topics of concern in the profession, feedback and action items. This years topics were: “HOD Delegates as AVMA Brand Advocates: How to Best Communicate AVMA Member Value to our Constituents” and “Economic Dynamics in the U.S. Veterinary Workforce.”
Here is a summary of the VIF topics:
• How delegates can best communicate with their constituents – the HOD approved a resolution calling for the HOD’s House Advisory Committee to form a working group to explore and define delegates’ role as AVMA ambassadors in promoting AVMA member value, reporting back to the HOD at the next meeting (Resolution 15).
• Economic dynamics in the U.S. veterinary workforce – Your AVMA recognizes the economic, staffing, and morale challenges that currently exist in the U.S. veterinary workforce. Your AVMA is working on these problems and information will be available in JAVMA and the AVMA Veterinary Business and Economic Forum in October (Resolution 16)

The HOD also addressed the following Resolutions on the agenda for this meeting:
• Resolution 8 – Reclassifying Ventilation Shutdown Methods as Not Recommended: The HOD voted to refer the resolution to the AVMA Board of Directors for consideration by the AVMA Panel on Depopulation.
• Resolution 9 – Rules for Officer Election Campaigns: The HOD voted to adopt the resolution.
• Resolution 10 – Policy on Veterinary Compounding: The HOD voted to refer the resolution to the AVMA Board of Directors for further clarification by the AVMA Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents.
• Resolution 11 – Revised Policy on Use of Random-Source Dogs and Cats for Research, Testing, and Education: The HOD voted to adopt the resolution.
• Resolution 12 – Revised Policy on Veterinary Foresight and Expertise in Antimicrobial Discussions: The HOD voted to adopt the resolution.
• Resolution 13 – Revised Policy on Notification to the Veterinarian of Violative Residues in Foods of Animal Origin: The HOD voted to adopt the resolution.
• Resolution 14 – Policy on Use of Prescription Drugs in Veterinary Medicine: The HOD voted to refer the resolution to the AVMA Board of Directors for referral to the AVMA Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents for further clarification.

Letter from the President – October 2021

Alfred Mina, DVM
HVMA President

Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic the HVMA Executive Board continues to work on improving veterinary services in the islands. Big mahalo to those who continue to support HVMA through these trying times. A lot of this is done through membership dues.

There’s still an increasing need for veterinarians and veterinary support staff here in Hawaii. One of the biggest issues we are currently facing is the shortage of veterinarians and veterinary support staff. Many veterinary services are overwhelmed by the high demand, putting major strain on veterinarians and support staff.

We are asking the community for compassion and patience as we are all doing our best through this difficult time. If you know of any veterinarians or veterinary support staff that are considering relocating to Hawaii feel free to contact the HVMA for support.

Please join us for the HVMA Virtual Hui 2021 – Annual Business Meeting on Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 12:15PM (Hawaii). It will be open to all HVMA members and interested veterinarians.

If you haven’t renewed your membership or joined HVMA yet, please consider doing so here. Also, don’t forget to check in on our online CE provided by HVMA. Please let us know if there’s any specific topics that we can look into for future presentations.

It is still hurricane season, so be prepared and make sure you have a natural disaster kit, including food and medical supplies, for your pets. Please continue to stay safe through 2021 and hope to see you all soon!

Sincerely,
Alfred J. Mina, DVM

Greater Good Charities Bring the Good Fix Program to Kauai

Submitted by Leilani Sim-Godbehere, DVM

Greater Good Charities will be offering a gift to our Kauai community through their Good Fix program. This is one of the charities that was instrumental in the Paws Across the Pacific program in Oct. 2020 when over 600 shelter animals were flown from the main Hawaiian islands to the U.S. mainland for adoption.

The Good Fix program will establish a humane mass trap-neuter-release program targeting the free-roaming cat overpopulation problem on Kauai. Some owned cats will also be included in the totals. Good Fix will work with local volunteers and will also deploy a team of specialized trappers throughout the island to maximize the number of cats sterilized. The program will encompass dual licensed HQHVSN (High Quality High Volume Spay Neuter) vets and MASH style experts to complete the work. The goal is to sterilize 15,000 cats over the year in 6 rounds. Sterilized cats will also be microchipped and FVRCP vaccinated. Dates are set for Oct 3-8 & 11-16, 2021; Jan 23-28, 2022; Jan 31-Feb 5, Mar 27-Apr 1 & Apr 4-9, 2022.

Besides public outreach, Greater Good Charities is inviting our veterinary community to learn more and participate in their program! Vets/techs interested in participating can contact the veterinary medical director of Greater Good Charities, Dr. Ruth Parkin, at ruthparkin@greatergood.org for an application. It is all volunteer work, but travel and accommodations for the medical team members who commit to an entire clinic session would be covered. Any non-medical persons interested in helping with trapping or other volunteer aspects can also contact Dr. Ruth Parkin. Participating vets will also be offered $150 vouchers to offset cost of dog spays for clients who might benefit from the financial support.

There is a plan in progress to address relocation of cats in certain wildlife/bird sensitive areas. It may become part of a “farm/barn-cat” program. The team is aware that this topic is high priority. The team is also aware of the Toxoplasma issues on island and will be including educational information on their community outreach to encourage the public about the importance of controlling overall free-roaming cat numbers.

Dr. Ruth Parkin and Dr. Julie Levy made a productive initial visit to Kauai on June 22 and 23,2021 for a site visit and to meet with local veterinarians and groups involved with animal welfare. They were delighted at the warm welcome they received and they look forward to working for the benefit of Kauai and hopefully our sister islands as well.

HVMA 2021 Scholarship Awards

Congratulations to our two HVMA scholarship recipients for 2021!

Threnody Brown Earley-Clark is a 4th year student at the Royal Veterinary College in the UK. She was a part of the pre-vet club at UH Manoa and volunteered at the Animal Clinic of Honolulu and the Honolulu Zoo.

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Tyler Primavera is a WICHE scholarship recipient and 4th year student at Oregon State University. While exploring the veterinary field in Hawaii, Tyler volunteered at the Hawaiian Humane Society and worked at Kailua Animal Clinic and as a livestock inspector with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.

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We look forward to welcoming them back to Hawaii and our local veterinary community.

Legislative Update

New animal laws enacted in 2021:

Act 31 – Establishes the crime of sexual assault of an animal. Standard veterinary, animal husbandry, and conformation judging practices are exempt. Effective June 7, 2021.

Act 91 – Protects veterinarians from civil liability for rendering emergency aid to an animal, even if an owner is not available to consent to care. Requires veterinarians to report suspected animal cruelty or the injury or death of an animal as part of a staged fight. Protects veterinarians from civil liability for making such reports. Effective June 25, 2021.

Act 182 – Bans the unsupervised tethering of a dog under the age of six months. Bans tethering in a configuration that endangers the dog. Bans the use of tow or log chains to tether a dog. Effective July 6, 2021.

Act 5, Special Session – Requires dog and cat owners to have microchip identification implanted in their dogs and cats, and to register the microchip number and the owner’s contact information with a microchip registration company. Requires animal organizations to implant a microchip in all stray dogs and cats in their custody that do not have microchip identification. Effective January 1, 2022.

Meet a Board Member – David Gans

David Gans, DVM
Vice President

David had an epiphany as a young child that he would become the world’s first ANIMAL DOCTOR, pioneering a new field and contributing a new found profession to the world. Much to his dismay, he was informed of the veterinary field and settled for that. He was born and raised in Hawaii, and after obtaining his DVM at Colorado State University in 2018, returned to the islands to work at Hawaii Kai Veterinary Clinic, where he has been ever since. 

Along with his girlfriend Jayeon, he has been slowly building up their home zoo of rescues and their COVID garden. They have two cats Amaru and Dotori, a red footed tortoise, and recently a couple ducklings. They also enjoy hiking, surfing, and other outdoor activities.

David looks forward to expanding his knowledge and experience in general practice. He is especially interested in gaining more training with exotics and expanding his abilities in rehabilitation work. 

In Remembrance – Eric Jayne

Eric Jayne, DVM, worked with Cat Friends, Molokai Humane Society, and the Hawaiian Humane Society, served as the Hawaii HSVMA representative, and was due back in the islands later this summer. He was with his partner Sally visiting their dear friend, Dr. Lori Gossard, in North Dakota when a semi truck hit their car from behind. Eric was killed instantly. He was a great man, an adoring husband, and doting father. He was tireless and committed to improving human and animal lives. His impact was felt by many, and will continue to be.

Sally plans to keep their non-profit, Sovereign Nations Veterinary, fully running and contributing back to the indigenous communities they serve. A celebration of life service for Eric was held in Des Moines, and a prayer vigil in his memory at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe reservation. His family started a go-fund-me page to help continue his work at https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-honor-of-dr-eric-jayne.

Panleukopenia Cases

Submitted by Kasey Carter, DVM

The Hawaii Cat Café (a Hawaiian Humane Society offsite adoption partner) closed to the public for two weeks starting Tuesday, July 27 due to a confirmed case of panleukopenia.  The Hawaii Cat Café has dedicated their space for the next two weeks to quarantine & monitor cats who were potentially exposed.  They are working closely with the Hawaiian Humane Society veterinary team to deliver diagnostics and care as needed.  Over thirty cats have been adopted from Hawaii Cat Café over the last two weeks – these adopters have been contacted to inform them of the panleukopenia exposure and have been offered a physical exam and vaccination through our Veterinary Services department.
 
To date, we have no additional confirmed cases in our cat population, which includes our other partners.  Our vaccine protocols include vaccination of all animals on intake, vaccination of kittens/puppies between 4-18 weeks every two weeks while in our care, and to vaccinate dogs and cats >18 weeks twice (if they are in our care at least 2 weeks).

If you have any questions or concerns or see any suspect/positive panleukopenia cases, please reach out directly to Dr. Carter at kcarter@hawaiianhumane.org

Thank you!